After Hours Care
When you or a loved one needs medical care outside of regular business hours, it can be challenging to determine the best course of action. At Boulder Medical Center, we want to ensure you have the information to make informed decisions about after-hours care. This guide will help you understand when to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room when to choose Boulder Medical Center Urgent Care and other available options for non-emergency conditions.
When to Call 911 or Go to the Nearest Emergency Room
Certain conditions require immediate medical attention and can be life-threatening if not treated right away. For symptoms such as a head injury with loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, chest pain, poisoning, severe headache, seizures, or serious injuries, call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room without delay. Act swiftly in these situations is crucial to ensure the best possible outcomes. Here are examples of symptoms for which you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room:
- Head injury with loss of consciousness, continuous vomiting, and/or change in level of alertness
- Difficulty breathing, especially if skin or lips are blue or if the person has asthma
- Chest pain with shortness of breath and/or jaw or arm pain (especially if there is nausea and or sweating)
- Ingestion of poison – Call poison control at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance.
- Numbness, tingling, paralysis, or weakness on one side of the body
- Slurred speech or difficulty speaking
- Severe headache or migraine along with blurred vision, numbness, tingling, paralysis, or difficulty speaking
- Seizures
- Fracture (broken bone) where the bone is sticking out of the skin
- Exposure to rabies (bats) or bite by a venomous snake
- Feelings or thoughts of suicide or homicide
- If the patient is the victim of a crime such as battery or sexual assault
When to Choose Boulder Medical Center Urgent Care
For illnesses and injuries that are not life-threatening and when your primary care provider is unavailable, Boulder Medical Center Urgent Care is here to help. Staffed by physicians and nurses seven days a week, our clinic can treat various conditions, including lacerations, fractures, abdominal pain, respiratory infections, and more. Our urgent care team is dedicated to providing prompt and effective care and will refer you to more advanced facilities, primary care providers, or specialists if necessary.
Some of the conditions our Urgent Care staff can treat:
- Lacerations, fractures, and dislocations
- Abdominal pain
- Cough, asthma, pneumonia, upper respiratory infections
- Sore throat
- Ear infection
- Fevers and rashes
- Contusions and bruising
- Urinary infections
- Administering intravenous (IV) fluids
Boulder Medical Center Urgent Care providers will refer you to a more advanced facility, primary care providers, or specialists as necessary.
Pediatric Urgent Care
Boulder Medical Center Urgent Care can treat many pediatric conditions. Please call ahead for advice on your specific issue.
If your child has one of the following conditions and cannot see his or her primary care provider, please consider the Children’s Hospital Urgent Care as an alternative:
- Babies 3 months old and younger with a fever over 100°F
- Children under 5 years old needing intravenous (IV) fluids
- Children with severe asthma or breathing difficulties
Boulder Medical Center partners with the Children’s Hospital for after-hours advice for our pediatric patients. The Children’s Hospital North Campus in Broomfield offers urgent and inpatient care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For Non-Emergency Conditions
If the current situation is not a life-threatening emergency, here are a few tips:
- Since it is always better to have continuous care with your primary provider, please call your primary care provider first if the condition is taking place during normal business hours. Same-day appointments may be available.
- After normal business hours, check these website links for extended and/or Saturday hours or for contact information to speak with the on-call provider. The on-call provider can guide you to the best treatment options and locations: